Initiatives
Video transcript
"Technology Direction for FY20" Message to Sony's Employees from Toru Katsumoto, Executive Deputy President, Sony Corporation.
Jul 17, 2020
Hello, everyone, it's Katsumoto.
How are you doing?
I know that there are many people who continue to work despite various limitations, and I wish once again to offer my thanks to everyone for making necessary adjustments in this hard time.
Today, I will discuss our technology direction for fiscal year 2020, but first I would like to briefly reflect on fiscal year 2019.
By the way, this video is being filmed using the real-time volumetric technology developed by the R&D Center.
We can easily produce video that is difficult to create with conventional camera systems.
We first started stating that Sony is a “creative entertainment company with a solid foundation in technology” at CES in January of 2019, publicly sharing our corporate direction of using the power of technology to “get closer to people.”
Taking that as inspiration, we held our first Sony Technology Day in September.
This was aimed mainly at familiarizing investors, analysts, and members of the news media with our competitive technology that connects the Sony’s Group’s various businesses, and these efforts were well received. We will continue to share information regarding our technology initiatives in this way in 2020 and beyond.
Furthermore, last fiscal year we expanded our R&D efforts from electronics and semiconductor research to include projects, such as those related to entertainment and financial services, that can contribute to the Sony Group as a whole.
We will also strengthen our cooperative initiatives between Group businesses and other companies using technology.
Now, I will go over our planned direction for fiscal year 2020.
The Sony business portfolio includes businesses that “move people’s hearts,” “connect people to people,” and “support people.”
And this diverse business portfolio that lets Sony “get closer to people” is supported by Reality and Real-time technology.
For Sony to become even stronger, I think it is important for us to perfect our technology while considering the questions “What problems can we solve through developing connections with people?” and “Can we use that to contribute to society?
It is essential for companies to tackle various social issues, such as climate change and public health issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and it is expected that Sony’s technology plays a part in solving those issues.
With that in mind, I think there is large value in providing ways to deliver Reality and Real-time technology and Remotely.
These technologies, which allow us to get closer to people as well as form connections remotely, can be called “3R” technologies.I believe that Sony’s “3R” technologies will contribute to the transition from a society where the large-scale movement of people and goods leads to risks of infectious disease and increased energy consumption, into a sustainable society where movement is minimized.
We discussed topics such as working from home, remote medical care, online classrooms, and virtual working spaces.
However, as we deal with the current situation and look toward a post-COVID-19 world, such concepts have already started to become part of the norm.
Of course, Sony should do everything we can this year to accelerate progress on such initiatives.
Let’s take this opportunity to rethink our products and services in order to create the things that people really want.
I want to thank everyone again for all your hard work up until now.
However, even after the current difficult situation calms down, things will not return to how they were before, and we will have to adjust to a new way of living.
I want us to think together about ways to utilize “3R” technology that delivers Reality and Real-time experiences Remotely to find solutions for lifestyle and workplace issues and contribute to the Sony Group and society.
More than anything, I want the Sony Group to become able to convey the shared values of space and time, with a shared sense of Reality, in Real-time, and Remotely from anywhere in the world.
Even if COVID-19 resurges, and even if we have to continue limiting our movement, I hope to see our united efforts with everyone’s creativity and technology to enable Sony Group to continue “getting closer to people.”
Thank you for watching.
Volumetric shooting and editing scene
Video recording studio
